Tax Cuts are Great, Non-Intervention is Better

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson joined President Donald J. Trump for a military briefing by senior U.S. and Republic of Korea military leaders in South Korea on November 7, 2017. [State Department Photo/ Public Domain]

Michael Scheuer, the former head of the CIA’s bin Laden unit, wrote at his blog last week that, while Americans are happy to see tax cuts, what would be even better is avoiding any more wars that cost the country trillions of dollars, and most tragically, the lives of its young men and women. President Trump sold himself as a non-interventionist candidate. Scheuer says the president has failed to live up to that promise so far, but there is still time. He writes (abridged):

There is nothing sane that an American president can do to short-circuit the occurrence of these (see below ) approaching disasters, so it is best that you get the easily solved problems of Ukraine, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan out of the way. Thereafter, Sir, prepare yourself to resist the intense pressure from Neocons, Globalists, Israel-Firsters, Congress, the generals, and much of the media that will be loosed on you when the Islamists’ African campaign gathers pace and the usual war-mongering subjects in the United States slither out from under their rocks begin to clamor for a war to “liberate Africa”.

As you buckle on your armor for that fight, Mr. President, you should always remember, that non-interventionism is a concept dearly beloved by non-elite Americans, working men and women who see no reason to spend their taxes and children’s lives on always fractious foreigners who hate the United States but love its money. Tax cuts are swell, Mr. President, but non-killed soldier-children are endlessly better. Those same people, Sir, also recall that you sold yourself to them as the champion of a non-interventionism, and can only believe that, to date, you have been close to an utter sham on that score. Words to the wise.